Hydraulically operated steadyrest



R.v A. COLE KMLW HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED STEADYREST Filed Nov. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 56 g5 52 3 7/ Z6 Z7 7// 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. A. COLE HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED STEADYREST Filed Nov. 18, 19.55

Patented May 19, 1936 2,041,156 HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED STEADYREST Raymond A. Cole, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Norton Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 18, 1935, Serial .No. 50,276

7 Claims. (01. 51-238) UNHTED STATES PATENT orFicE This invention relates to grinding machines, and more particularly to a hydraulically operated steadyrest for steadying and supporting the work during a grinding operation.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and thoroughly practicable hydraulically actuated steadyrest. Another object is to provide a hydraulically operated steadyrest which is compact in construction and simple in operation and action during the grinding operation. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the. accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention,

Fig. 1 'is' an end elevation of the improved steadyrest having a portion broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view showing the i manual adjustment of the steadyrest shoe;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the steadyrest having a portion broken away and shown in section to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

I Fig, 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view, taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3, showing the fluid inlet chamber, the needle valve and the ball check valve.

- A steadyrest has een illustrated as mounted on a grinding machine in the usual manner. A rotatable grinding wheel IE1 is supported on a wheel slide, not shown, and arranged to be moved into operative grinding relation with a rotatable work piece It. A longitudinally movable work table I2 is provided for supporting the work piece i l on the usual rotatable work supports such as a head and footstock, not shown. A steadyrest base or frame I5 is mounted on the table I2 and is provided with mating surfaces l6 and it which are arranged to mate and fit upon the upper surface of the table I2. The base I5 is arranged to be clamped in rigid engagement with the table I 2 by means of a pair of clamping members i8 which are arranged to engage a dovetailed surface I9 on the table I2. The upper ends of the clamping members are screw threaded and provided with clamping nuts 20 which may be turned to lock the steadyrest base i5 into rigid engagement with the table I 2.

The steadyrest base it is provided with an upwardly extending portion 25 which serves to support a horizontally slidable member 26 carrying a work steadying shoe 2? which is preferably arranged to engage the work piece at a point diametrically opposite the line of contact between the grinding wheel and the work piece.

The projection 25 of the base l5 also slidably supports a horizontally slidable rod 30 which is connected by a stud 3I with a pivotally mounted steadyrest member 32 carrying a second work steadying shoe 33. The member 32 is pivotally mounted on a stud 34 on the base I5 and is arranged to swing the shoe 33 toward or from the axis of the work piece I I. The steadyrest shoe 33 is preferably arranged to engage the work piece at a point below the work axis and at a point adjacent to the line of contact between the grinding wheel and the work piece so as to steady the work piece I I during; the grinding operation against the downward grinding thrust of the Wheel It.

In order to move the steadyrest shoes 2'! and 33 rapidly into and out of an operative position with relation to the work piece I I, a. suitable fluid pressure actuated mechanism is provided and in the preferred arrangement in order to provide a compact construction which does not project toward the front of the machine to interfere with the operators control of the machine, a fluid pressure mechanism is provided in which the fluid pressure cylinders are arranged in a vertical manner. As illustrated in the drawings, the steadyrest base I5 has a downwardly extending projection 40 which is provided with a pair of vertically arranged cylinders M and 42. Each of the cylinders 4| and 42 is provided with a slidably mounted piston 43 and 44 respectively, each of which is provided with an upwardly extending piston rod 45 and 36 respectively. In order that the vertical motion of the piston rods 45 and 36 may be transmitted to cause av horizontal motion of the rods 23 and 30, a suitable linkage is provided between the piston rods and the slidable rods 26 and 3!]. A bell crank lever 43 is pivotally mounted on a stud 41 and has a horizontally extending arm 43 which is provided with a yoked end 49. The yoked end 49 is arranged to fit within a slot 50 in the upper end of the piston rod 36 and to straddle a pin 5| which is carried by the piston rod 36 so that a vertical movement rod 36, pin 5| and the yoked end 49 to rock the bell crank lever 46 about its pivot 41. The bell crank 46 is provided with a vertically extending arm 52 which is yoked and arranged to straddle a. spool 53.

The yoked arm 52 of the bell crank 46 is provided with pins 54 and 55 which ride in a groove 56 in the spool 53 so that a rocking motion of the bell crank 46 serves to move the spool 53 endwise in a horizontal direction.

The spool 53 is connected to move the horizontally movable rod 26 which supports the shoe 21. In order to permit a manual adjustment of the steadyrest shoe 21 relative to the hydraulic movement thereof by means of the piston 44, a manual adjusting means is interposed between the piston 44 and the shoe 21. In the. preferred construction the spool 53 is formed as an integral part of a nut 58 which is screw threaded onto a reduced threaded portion 59 of the member 26. By turning the nut 58 by means of a knurled knob 60, the shoe 21 may be adjusted relative to the bell crank 46 and the piston 44. A look screw 6| is threaded into the nut 58 and is provided with a knurled knob 62 by means of which the nut 58 may be locked in adjusted position on the screw 59.

The piston rod 45 is connected so that its vertical motion serves to cause a horizontal endwise movement of the rod 30 to swing the steadyrest shoe 33 either into or out of engagement with the work piece II. This is preferably accomplished by means of a bell crank 10 which is pivotally mounted on a stud II. The bell crank 10 is provided with a horizontally extending arm I2 having a yoked end portion I3 arranged to straddle a pin I4 carried by the upper end of the piston rod 45. The yoked member I3 is arranged to fit within a slot I5 in the upper end of the piston rod 45, so that any vertical motion of the piston rod 45 is transmitted to rock the bell crank lever III. The bell crank I0 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 16 which is yoked at its lower end and is provided with a pair of opposed pins 1'! which engage a rotatable collar I8. Movement of the piston rod 45 serves through pin 14 and yoked member I3 to rock the bell crank I6 about its pivot II, so as to move the rotatable collar I8 endwise. The collar I8 is rotatably supported on a nut 19 which is screw threaded onto a screw threaded portion 80 of the rod 30. The rotatable collar 18 is held against endwise movement by means of a flange 8| on the nut 19 on one side and by means of a sleeve 82 which fits on a reduced portion 83 of the nut I9 and is held in an operative position thereon by means of a pair of opposed pins 84 and 85. The sleeve 82 is provided with an outwardly extending portion 86 having a knurled adjusting knob 81 to permit the nut 19 to be readily adjusted from the front of the steadyrest so as to move the rod 30 endwise in either direction to rock the arm 32 and cause the steadyrest shoe 33 to move either into or out of engagement with the work piece I The adjusting sleeve 82, extension 86 and knob 81 are provided with an internal threaded aperture. A locking screw 88 is threaded into the aperture within the member 86 and is provided with a knurled adjusting knob 89. The screw 88 is arranged to engagethe end of the threaded portion 89 of the rod 39 so that after the nut 19 has been adjusted to the desired extent, the screw 88 may be turned by knob 89 to lock the screw 80 and the nut I9 into a fixed relationship with each other.

The nut and screw adjusting devices between the steadyrest shoes 21 and 33 and pistons 44 and 43 serve to permit an adjustment of the position of the shoes 21 and 33 relative to the fluid pressure pistons 44 and 43 respectively in setting up the machine for a given size work piece.

Fluid under pressure is supplied from any suitable source, such as a fiuid pressure pump on the grinding machine or from an outside source. Fluid under pressure passing through a pipe 96 enters a fluid chamber 9| in the downwardly extending portion 48 of the steadyrest base I5. Fluid under pressure entering the chamber 9| passes through a port 92 and through an adjustable needle Valve 93, through a downwardly extending passage 94 in the frame 49 and through a transversely extending passage 95, in a lower cylinder head 96, into a cylinder chamber 42 to cause the piston 44 to move upwardly into the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. This motion serves through the piston rod 36, the pin 5|, the yoked member 49, to rock the bell crank lever 46 in a clockwise direction (Fig. l) to cause the rod 26 to move the shoe 2'! into operative engagement with the work piece I I.

Similarly, fluid under pressure within the passage 9| passes through a port 98, through a needle valve 99 and downwardly through a vertical passage IUU within the projection 40 of the steadyrest base I5 and then is forced through a transversely extending passage IUI to cause the piston 43 to move upwardly which serves through the piston rod 45, the pin 14, the yoked member 13, to rock the bell crank lever ID in a clockwise direction so as to move the rod 30 (Figs. 1 and 2) toward the left which in turn serves to rock the steadyrest shoe support 32 in a counterclockwise direction to move the steadyrest shoe 33 into operative engagement with the work piece II.

In order that the steadyrest shoes may be withdrawn rapidly from engagement with the work after the work piece has been ground to a predetermined size, a separate exhaust passage is provided to permit a rapid exhaust of fluid from the cylinder chambers 4| and 42. A transversely extending passage I65 leads from the cylinder chamber 42 to a vertically extending passage |06 in the member 49 which is covered by a ball check valve I61. During the period when fluid under pressure is admitted to the chamber 9|, the ball It)? is held in a fixed position on its seat I98 so that fluid cannot pass through the passages I96 and I05 but must be forced through the port 92 and needle valve 93 at a controlled rate. When the pressure is cut off from the passage 9| and fluid contained within the passage 9| is permitted to exhaust therefrom, fluid under pressure within the cylinder chamber 42 is allowed to pass through passage I95, passage I96, and to raise the ball its? from its seat I93 and allow the exhaust fluid to enter passage 9| and to exhaust therefrom.

Similarly, a transverse passage I98 is provided which extends transversely from the cylinder chamber 4| and connects with a vertically extending passage I69, the upper end of which is closed by a ball check valve II!) having a seat III to close the passage I89 when pressure is admitted to the chamber 9|. The ball I I0 serves to permit exhaust of fluid from the cylinder chamber 4| when pressure is released from the passage 9|.

In order that the steadyrest shoes 21 and 33 may be rapidly removed to an inoperative position when the fluid pressure is cut off from the chamber 9| and the fluid is allowed to exhaust from the cylinder chambers 4| and 42 and the chamber 9 I a yieldable springis provided to rapidly exhaust the fluid and move the shoes 21 and 33. A spring I I6 surrounds the piston rod 45 and is contained within an aperture H1 in the piston 43 and is interposed between a surface H8 on the piston 43 and a cylinder head H9. The spring H6 exerts a downward pressure on the piston 43 to rapidly exhaust fluid from the cylinder 4| when the pressure is cut off to rapidly withdraw the shoe 33 to an inoperative position.

Similarly a spring I20 surrounds the piston rod 36 and is contained within an aperture I2I on the piston 44 and is interposed between a surface I22 on the piston 44 and the cylinder head H4. The spring I20 exerts a downward pressure on the piston 44 to rapidly exhaust fluid from the cylinder chamber 42 when the pressure is cut off to rapidly withdraw the shoe 21 to an inoperative position.

The piston rod 33 is provided with a projection H2 which carries an adjustable stop screw H3 which serves to engage a cylinder head I I4 at the upper end of the cylinder 42 and serves to limit the downward movement of the piston 44, thus permitting an adjustment of the extent of withdrawal of the horizontally movable shoe 2?. The adjusting screw H3 is provided with a lock nut H5 which serves to lock the screw in a predetermined adjusted position.

The piston rod 45 is provided with a projection I25 which carries an adjustable stop screw I26 which serves to engage a projection I28 of the cylinder head H3 and serves to limit the downward movement of the piston 43, thus permitting an adjustment of the extent of withdrawal of the pivotally mounted shoe 33. The adjusting screw I23 is provided with a lock nut I2? which serves to lock the screw I23 in a' predetermined adjusted position. By manipulating the adjusting screws H3 and I23, the lost motion or withdrawal of the steadyrest shoes 21 and 33 respectively may be varied in accordance with the requirements of the particular grinding job.

In the operation of this improved steadyrest, the fluid under pressure is admitted tothe passage 9I to cause the pistons 33 and 44 to move upwardly to move the shoes 33 and 21 into operative engagement with the work piece II to support and steady the same during the grinding operation. By manipulation of the needle valves 93 and 99, the passage of fluid under pressure into the cylinder chambers M and 42 may be varied so that either the piston 43 or the piston 44 may be moved so as to cause either the shoe 2'! or the work steadying shoe 33 to be moved into engagement with the work piece before the other shoe contacts therewith. In the preferred operation of the steadyrest, however, it is desirable to move the steadyrest shoe 33 into operative position to engage the under side of the work piece I I to support the same against the rotary thrust of the grinding wheel Ill before the horizontally movable shoe 21 is moved into supporting engagement therewith. This may be accomplished by adjusting the needle valve 93 so that fluid may pass through this valve quicker than it can pass through the other needle valve 99.

In setting up the steadyrest for grinding a work piece of a predetermined size, the operator first slacks off the locking screws BI and 88 by turning the knob 62 and 89. Then by manipulation of the knurled knobs 33 and 81, the work steadying shoes 27 and 33 may be adjusted as desired. After this adjustment has been made, the lock screws BI and 88 are then looked to maintain the parts in the fixed adjusted position.

In the preferred operation of the improved steadyrest, the work steadying shoes 21 and 33 are moved into operative engagement with the periphery of the work piece being ground under the influence of fluid pressure within the cylinder chambers 42 and M respectively, and the shoes 27 and 33 are maintained with a predetermined uniform pressure in operative steadying engagement with the work piece II as the grinding operation proceeds by the fluid pressure mechanism. In setting-up the steadyrest for grinding a given piece of work, a work piece of the finished size may be placed in the machine, fluid under pressure is admitted through the passages 93 to move the pistons 43 and 44 into their upward positions, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the pistons are in their upward position, the shoes 27? and 33 are then adjusted into the desired supporting relationship with the work piece by manipulation of the adjusting knobs 63 and. 81. Then the adjusting screws are locked in adjusted position and the fluid is cut oir" from the passage 9|, al-

lowing the fluid contained therein and in the cylinder chambers 4| and 42 to exhaust so as to permit the work steadying shoes TI and 33 to move out of operative contact with the work piece II.

If desired, the steadyrest shoes may be brought into an operating position by means of the fluid pressure mechanism, that is, the shoes may be adjusted so that the pistons 43 and 44 will engage .the upper ends of the cylinders when the work steadying shoes 21 and 33 are about to engage the surfaceof the work piece I I to be ground.

Then the shoes may be adjusted manually by means of the knobs 60 and 8'! to maintain the shoes in the desired supporting relationship with the work piece II during the grinding operation.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

1. A steadyrest for a grinding machine comprising a base, means to support said base on a grinding machine, a horizontally movable shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the Work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged fluid pressure piston and cylinder, a bell crank lever interposed between the piston and shoe whereby vertical movement of said piston moves said shoe horizontally into or out of operative relation with the work, a second vertically arranged piston and cylinder, and a second bell crank interposed between said piston and the pivotally mounted shoe whereby vertical movement of said piston is transmitted to swing the lower steadyrest shoe into or out of operative re lation with the work piece.

2. A steadyrest for grinding machines comprising a base, means to support said base on the grinding machine, a horizontally movable work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding" wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means ineluding a vertically arranged piston and cylinder to move said horizontally movable shoe into or out of operative relation with the work, means interposed between the piston and steadyrest shoe to adjust the position of the shoe relative to said piston movement, a second fluid pressure piston and cylinder operatively connected to swing the lower shoe into or out of operative relation with the work piece, and adjusting means interposed between the piston and steadyrest shoe to permit adjustment of the lower steadyrest shoe relative to its actuating piston.

3. A steadyrest for grinding machines comprising a base, means to support said base on the grinding machine, a horizontally movable work steadying shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged fluid pressure piston and cylinder to move said horizontally movable shoe into operative relation with the work, means interposed between the piston and steadyrest shoe to adjust the position of the shoe relative to said piston, a second fluid pressure piston and cylinder operatively connected to swing the lower shoe into operative engagement with the work piece, means interposed between the second piston and the ivotally mounted shoe to permit adjustment of the second shoe relative to its actuating piston, a fluid pressure chamber within the base, and an adjustable needle valve interposed between said chamber and each cylinder to independently adjust the admission of fluid pressure to said cylinders.

4. A steadyrest for grinding machines comprising a base, means to support said base on a grinding machine, a horizontally movable shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the wheel axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged piston and cylinder, a bell crank lever interposed between the piston and shoe whereby vertical movement of the piston moves the shoe horizontally into or out of operative relation with the work, a second vertically arranged piston and cylinder, a second bell crank lever interposed between the second piston and the pivotally mounted shoe whereby the vertical movement of said piston is transmitted to swing the lower steadyrest shoe into or out of operative relation with the work piece, a fluid pressure chamber within said base, and adjustable valves interposed between said chamber and each of said cylinders to independently adjust the pressure of the steadyrest shoes against the work.

5. A steadyrest for grinding machines comprising a base, means to support said base on the grinding machine, a horizontally movable shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged fluid pressure piston and cylinder, a bell crank lever interposed between the piston and shoe whereby vertical movement of the piston moves said shoe horizontally into or out of operative relation with the work, manually op: erable adjusting means interposed between the bell crank lever and shoe to permit adjustment of the shoe relative to the piston, a second vertically arranged piston and cylinder, a second bell crank lever interposed between the piston and the pivotally mounted shoe whereby the vertical movement of said second piston is transmitted to swing the lower steadyrest shoe into or out of operative relation with the work, and a manually operable adjusting means interposed between the second bell crank and the pivotally mounted shoe whereby the second shoe may be adjusted relative to its actuating piston.

6. A steadyrest for a griding machine comprising a base, means to support said base on the grinding machine, a horizontally movable shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grinding wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged fluid pressure piston and cylinder, a bell crank lever interposed between the piston and shoe whereby vertical movement of the piston moves said shoe horizontally into or out of operative relation with the work, manually operable adjusting means interposed between the bell crank lever and shoe to permit adjustment of the shoe relative to the piston, a second vertically arranged piston and cylinder, a second bell crank lever interposed between the piston and the pivotally mounte-d shoe whereby the vertical movement of said second piston is transmitted to swing the lower steadyrest shoe into or out of operative relation with the work, a manually operable means interposed between the second bell crank and the pivotally mounted shoe to facilitate adjustment of the pivotally mounted steadyrest shoe and its actuating cylinder, a fluid pressure chamber within said base, and a valve interposed between said chamber and each of the cylinders to independently adjust the fluid under pressure entering each of said cylinders to independently control the movements of each of the steadyrest shoes.

'7. A steadyrest for a grinding machine comprising a base, means to support said base on the grinding machine, a horizontally movable shoe arranged to engage the work opposite the grind- I ing wheel, a pivotally mounted shoe arranged to engage the work at a point below the work axis and adjacent to the line of contact between the wheel and work, means including a vertically arranged fluid pressure piston and cylinder, a bell crank lever interposed between the piston and shoe whereby vertical movement of the piston moves said shoe horizontally into or out of operative relation with the work, manually operable adjusting means interposed between the bell crank lever and shoe to permit adjustment of the shoe relative to the piston, a second vertically arranged piston and cylinder, a second bell crank lever interposed between the piston and the pivotally mounted shoe whereby the vertical movement of said second piston is transmitted to swing the lower steadyrest shoe into or out of operative relation with the work, and means including a pair of ball check valves interposed between said chamber and each of said cylinders to facilitate rapid exhaust of fluid from said cylinders to move the steadyrest shoes rapidly to an inoperative position.

RAYMOND A. COLE. 

